Legon Awakening

chapter Six

The Plan



“When I asked the master about life’s movements, he told me that he likened life unto a river. When I asked what he meant he said, ‘Picture yourself as a drop of water. Now see yourself on top of a great hill. Where would you like to go? What land would you like to bring life to with your moisture or, conversely, what land would you flood? Now step off the edge of the mountain and flow down; the rapids and twisting of the river is your life. Plan for the destination and the direction; after that, hang on tight.’”

-Conversations in the Garden



Sasha knelt down to pick a mushroom that was growing at the base of a tree. As she pulled it out bits of moss came with it. The moss was all over the tree’s roots, which gave it the appearance of having a green rug wrapped around its base. It was still relatively early in the day. The morning dew still glistened on the plants and the air was sweet and clean. Her mother had sent to her to the woods to find certain rare mushrooms that she used for healing various ailments. Sasha placed the mushroom in a little basket that was on her shoulder and stood up. As she stood she noticed a little bean-sized black beetle crawling up the tree trunk. She smiled, not at the memory of having one of these creatures in her soup, but at the thought of getting back at Legon. More important, this was her last memory of a life that was innocent and seemly free of magic, Elves, and Dragons.

Of course, it had never really been free of these things. They had always been there and she just hadn’t known about it. She wondered what else had affected her world that she was now blissfully unaware of. It had been three days since they had talked to Arkin; three days of going into each other’s bedroom after their parents fell asleep to talk about what they thought was going on. Three days of Legon’s nightmares. He didn’t wake from them anymore, and he didn’t remember details in the morning. She noticed that if she came in while it was happening and spoke to him as he slept he would calm down a bit. She felt a pit in her stomach as she thought of the years that Legon had been doing the same thing for her, the times he had needed to restrain her and spend hours comforting her. She stepped over a fallen tree and looked on the ground for more mushrooms. She found one and walked to it.

Her mother sent her mainly because she was so good at finding things in the forest. They just seemed to leap out to her. I wonder why I’m so good at this, she thought. I guess it’s like the games I used to play at Arkin’s when I was a little girl. Arkin had spent many days watching Sasha when her mother was busy with a patient. He had played all kinds of interesting games with her, some with memory and others with finding things. She marveled at how the games she’d played as a child now helped her as an adult. The teacher was also interesting, especially lately.

Legon and Sasha had decided that Arkin was not working for the empire and that he probably wasn’t a major threat. They came to this conclusion after Legon made the observation that Arkin had taught him, Barnin, and Kovos everything they knew about fighting. It wouldn’t make sense to train your enemy how to fight. He had also taught Legon everything he knew about hunting, from tracking to stalking. In truth it scared her to see that many of the skills that seemed so unique and important were taught by one person.

She continued to walk, looking for places that the mushrooms would be. They had also decided that just because Arkin wasn’t an imminent threat didn’t mean that he wasn’t a threat. The fact was, they didn’t know how Arkin knew as much as he claimed and why he had taught them so much. Their training, because they now saw it for what it was, was different for both of them. There were similarities, but no two lessons were the same. He’d used memory games with both, so they both could remember everything with crystal clarity, and he had taught Legon how to fight and fight well.

Legon and Kovos went over to Arkin’s a lot as youngsters to learn how to fight with swords. Arkin would let them fight with wooden staves from the shop and gave them pointers. Kovos came out on top with the blade, although Legon was also extremely good. Arkin also taught them hand to hand combat. They always assumed that he did this because of how often Kovos and Legon got into fights with people about Sasha, but the training was too good for brawlers. Nobody in town could hold a candle to either man. There was so much more going on that she couldn’t wrap her head around.

She diverted her attention to some birds pulling worms out of the ground. She felt for the worm. It was how she felt, like she was being pulled out of her world and thrown into a much larger and more dangerous one. She could only hope that, unlike the worm, she wouldn’t be eaten.

* * * * *

Legon was tired. He hadn’t gotten much sleep, and from what Sasha had told him, the sleep that he was getting was haunted by nightmares. They didn’t wake him up anymore, and he didn’t remember much of them in the morning, but he knew that they were still there but somehow a bit better.

He hefted a pork shoulder onto the counter, reached for a knife, and began to cut the meat. He should be thinking about what was going on with him and his Elven side, but right now he didn’t give a heap of dung about it. The only thing on his mind this morning was Sasha. He was going to come of age in one month, and that meant he was going to have to leave regardless of whether he became an Elf or not. He decided to go with the original plan of moving to another town and starting a life there, and if he became an Elf he would cross that bridge then. He would avoid large cities and probably move to a new territory to ensure that no one knew anything about his past.

The biggest problem was Sasha. Kovos was right; it would be impossible to get enough money to the family before next spring. She was going to have to come with him and Kovos. There was really no way around it.

He turned to his father. “I’m taking her with me.” His father didn’t need an explanation. He knew what Legon meant.

“Are you sure? It’s a big sacrifice. You won’t be able to get married or start a family of your own until she gets married or is able to live on her own, and neither seems likely,” he said, turning to look at his son.

“I know, but it’s the only way to give her a chance. I don’t like the idea. I don’t know what my life holds, and that may put her in danger, but we know what will happen if I don’t take her,” he said flatly.

His mind was made up. Sasha’s situation was precarious from any angle. If she stayed here she would be made a slave; if she came with Legon there was a chance that she would get hurt.

There was a little comfort in the thought of Kovos coming along. He knew that if things got bad he could always send Sasha to Kovos and that would at least give her a shot. He explained this to his father, who gave a deep sigh after he was done explaining.

“You think it’s a good idea, I take it?”

His father took his time answering. “No, I think it’s a bad one, but it’s also the only way. Your mother and I have always hoped that you would take Sasha with you when you left, but we didn’t want to press you one way or the other. It had to be your call because you are the one who has to pay the price.” His face was somber. Legon could tell that he hated the thought of either of his kids being dealt a bad hand in life.

“I understand. Don’t worry dad, I’ll take care of her. I’m going to try and tell her later this week. She’ll fight me on it, but if you and mom back me then Sasha will cave in eventually.”

“You have our support, but we hate to have this happen to you two.”

“It’s fine. Everything will work out.”

In truth, part of him was happy at the thought of Sasha coming with him, but the other part was sad, not because of the future that he was probably giving up, but because he knew there was a hard road ahead. He didn’t want Sasha’s life to be any harder than it already was.

He decided to tell her the next day. He would take her on a picnic so even if she got upset, she wouldn’t be able to walk away and lock herself in her room. He knew that this was going to make her mad, not because she had little choice in the matter, but because she would see it as Legon throwing his life away. The biggest argument that he would have to make was that it was very unlikely that he would be getting married soon, if for no other reason than he didn’t know if he was going to be Elf or human and so he would always be in just a bit of danger. He finished with the pork and began to clean up. They would go in for lunch soon.

When they entered the house Sasha was home, standing over a pot and stirring. She turned and smiled at them as they walked in. “I hope you guys are hungry. I found some great mushrooms in the forest that I made soup with.”

“That sounds good, honey. Where is your mother?” asked Edis, taking a seat.

“She had to go over to see someone who fell off a horse and broke their arm or something. I don’t know much about it,” she said, carrying over the pot and placing it in the center of the table.

Now seemed as good a time as any. “It’s been nice lately,” Legon began. “Would you be up for another picnic, Sash?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. When were you thinking?”

“Oh I don’t know, how about tomorrow? We can go for lunch. How does that sound?”

* * * * *

Sasha thought about Legon’s proposal. There was more to this invite than just a pleasant outing, she could see it. Legon could mask his feelings well from most people, but not her. “Yeah that works great,” she said, smiling.

“Good,” he said with a slightly relieved smile. He spooned some soup into his mouth.

“Wow, Sash, you really are something else! This is amazing!”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.” She could see that this reaction was the truth. He did like the soup, which was saying something - Legon hated mushrooms. After lunch Legon and her father went back to the shop. Sasha stayed in the house cleaning up.

She was trying to figure out what was on Legon’s mind. He seemed tense when he had asked her to go on a picnic. She had tried to use one of their hand gestures to figure out what was wrong, but he had only told her to wait. She didn’t like waiting, not when her brother was holding back from her. There could have been a thousand reasons why he was hesitant, but she couldn’t think of one that made sense.

The rest of the day and night passed without incident. Sasha was having a harder time sleeping than before, and she could hear in the room next to her that Legon was too.

By eleven the next day she had lunch prepared and was wrapping two glasses into cloth so they wouldn’t break. She heard the front door open.

“Hey Sash, are you ready?” came Legon’s voice.

“Yep, I’ve got the food, the cedar, and this time the glasses.” She held up the cloth-covered glasses and smiled.

Their mother was sitting at the table scribbling something on paper and she looked up. “’This time’? You two haven’t been drinking from the bottle have you?”

“What are you talking about mom? You know you can’t work and listen at the same time,” Legon said.

“Sorry dear, you’re right. I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping. I know you two wouldn’t do that,” she said, looking back down at her paper.

* * * * *

Legon saw Sasha give him a thumbs-up. It was good she wasn’t paying full attention to them or they would be getting a lecture about drinking out of the bottle right now. It was a pet peeve of hers. Sasha nodded toward the back door and Legon walked over to her and out of the house. They were greeted by the smell of all the fields in full bloom. The sun was out and the sky was clear. She was wearing a bright white top with her hair pulled back. The white cloth seemed to make her cheeks glow. She was on his right and the basket with food was slung around her right shoulder.

“Do you want me to carry that?” he asked

“Yes, thank you,” she said with a smile, passing him the basket. He placed it on his left shoulder.

They were entering the woods and he felt the air get cooler as the smell of the woods intensified. It was a nice smell, and he liked it better than the smell of town. It was funny that he only noticed that the town had a scent to it when he left it and was surrounded by a new smell. “There is so much around us we don’t see until we leave it,” he thought. They were climbing the hill to their favorite spot. When they broke through the trees, they saw the town in full swing. Little lines of wispy smoke rose from most of the buildings, as well as the thick greasy line that was Kovos’ and Brack’s smith. They sat down on the grass and began to pull out lunch. Sasha unwrapped the glasses and uncorked the cedar.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on now, or do I have to wait?” she asked pleasantly.

Legon sighed. He figured it was better to get this over with now than later.

“Yeah, we can get to it. Listen, I can’t be in this territory anymore. My best chance at not being noticed is going someplace where no one knows me or this town. That means that it will be rare that I can visit here. My life could get dangerous and I want to protect everyone, including you, from that.”

Her eyes narrowed and a crease crossed the space in between. “Ok, that makes sense. So what’s the part I’m going to have a hard time with?”

“I want you to come with me. Now wait—hear me out,” he said as she pulled back from him. “Look, we both know what’s going to happen next spring. I was originally going to try and get money here before taxes, but that isn’t going to work. Furthermore, you aren’t safe here. I have no choice but to leave, and unless you want to be a slave or be killed by some idiot here, you don’t have a choice either,” he said, trying to be calm and reassuring in his tone.

The look on her face was blank. He could see her body becoming more and more rigid. He knew she was upset with him.

“So what, I come with you and then what? What do we become? Legon, don’t you get it? I will be seen as a freak everywhere I go. Nobody will ever want me as a wife and I will never be able to support myself. You’ll be stuck with me. I won’t let you throw your life away!” she said angrily, but by the end there was sadness in her voice. It tore at him knowing the pain she felt, but that’s why she needed to come. That was why he needed to be with her—to protect and shield her from the sorrows of the world.

“Look, we would be going someplace new and people won’t know anything about you, so you could be a seamstress or something. We can keep it quiet. Also, I’m not throwing my life away. I have to keep my head down until I find out what I’m going to end up being. Look, my way has more danger than I want you in, but staying here is worse. You are not going to be hurt by someone in town, nor are you going to become a slave. Do you get me?”

* * * * *

Sasha heard the resolve in his voice. She did ‘get him.’ The tone in his voice made it clear that if she stayed he would too, and when the day came that the collectors came for her, he would die fighting them off. She didn’t have a choice, and in truth she did want to go with him. She knew that there was going to be a high chance of danger and she understood that he didn’t want her in it, but he didn’t have a choice.

“Ok, fine. You made your point. When do we leave?” She was surprised at how it made her feel better.



Legon leaned over and hugged her tightly, kissing her on the cheek. “Thank you, Sash.”



She laughed. “Thank you for what? Why are you hugging me? You had to know I would give in.”

“Yeah I knew, but I thought I was going to have to fight you for awhile and pull the ‘mom and dad think it’s a good idea’ card on you. Now we can actually have a nice lunch.”

“The mom and dad card, huh? So you talked to them about it, did you?” It was no surprise that they would gang up on her, she thought wryly.

He didn’t respond, instead pouring the cedar into the glasses and handing her one.

* * * * *

Legon could feel the tension between them drop. It was nice to sit at the top of the hill looking out over the town, eating lunch. As he thought this, a slight shiver ran up his spine. Not too long ago he had looked out over this town in pitch black and seen everything. He knew now that it must have been the Elven side of him that night. The thing that confused him was why he was having dreams with the black dragon. After all, he was part Elf, not Iumenta, and that meant that he should belong to the good brother, not the bad.

“I’m going to talk to Kovos today and tell him that I’m going to head away from the Salez territory and that you’re coming with me.”

“Ok. Do you still think that he will want to go with us?”

He took a sip of cedar. “I think he will, but I want his input on what part of the empire he wants to live in. I think he’ll want to go to the south where it’s warmer. That could be good for us too, in case we need to leave the empire.”

Sasha paused for a moment as she thought. “That’s good. If we get into trouble we will be closer to the Elves, and the people in that part of the empire aren’t as loyal to the queen.”

“Good. I’m glad we agree on that. Let’s pack up. I want to find Kovos,” Legon said as he stood up.

“You should tell him about your tattoo. He needs to know everything if he’s coming with us. He’s earned that right.” Legon nodded and reached down to help her up.

They walked back down to the house. As soon as they could see it, Legon headed off toward Kovos’. He moved quickly and with a bounce in his step. The thought of having Sasha with him made the future seem a bit less doubtful.

It didn’t take him long to get to the smith. When he entered he found Kovos and Brack hard at work. He was surprised to see Kovos working on what looked like a sword.

“What are you working on?” Legon yelled over the persistent roar of the furnace.

“I’m making myself a sword… I don’t want to put up with you anymore…sorry man.” Kovos gave him a wicked smile.



Legon laughed. “Shouldn’t you learn how to use it first?”



Kovos was a much better swordsman than him, and he knew that if they ever got into a real sword fight he would lose. Kovos didn’t have a sword of his own; he always used his father’s. The one Kovos was making looked to be a hand and half broadsword. He could see that the blade was almost done and that he was putting the finishing touches on the edge.

Legon had always had a hard time thinking of a broadsword as a ‘blade’, because they weren’t incredibly sharp. They could cut through an arm or leg that wasn’t protected by chainmail, but the blades could not be as sharp as a knife because they would chip in a fight, and even then it would take incredible strength to go through chainmail and plate armor. They could pierce leather armor, but it was the force behind the blow that did the work. The only truly sharp part of the blade was the tip, but other than that they were about as sharp as an axe.

Kovos was running the new blade across a grinding stone and seemed to be happy with it. He held it out for Legon to inspect. He was impressed right away. The sword’s handle was wire wrapped, the hilt was cross shaped, and the pommel was a large ball that could be used to hit your opponent. All in all it was a fine weapon. He turned it in his hands, feeling the balance of the blade. The weight was good and the blade was straight. Kovos had gone above and beyond by etching flames up the flat side of the blade.

“Flames? Are you serious?” Legon asked.

Kovos took the sword and inspected it. “Is there something wrong with them? Did I mess one up?” He almost held the sword against his face as he looked for the mistake.

“Yeah, you put flames on it. I mean, it was fun to put on wooden staves when we were kids, but flames on a real sword? You have got to be kidding me. Are you planning on your opponent laughing to death?” Legon was smiling at Kovos.

“I hate you. Now what do you want?”

“We need to talk.”

“Whoa there buddy. I don’t mean to sound rude, but I just see you as a friend. Sorry, I don’t go that way. Sasha will be so heartbroken when she finds out . . .” Kovos began, trying to look like he was wary of Legon.

“Shut up! I don’t mean like that!” Legon shook his head but gave a small laugh.

Kovos laughed. “Let me tell dad I’m stepping out.”

Kovos walked over to Brack and said something Legon couldn’t hear, and he doubted Brack heard either as the man pointed over to a set of clamps and nodded his head vigorously. For a moment, it looked like Kovos was going to try and tell his dad that he was stepping out again, but then decided otherwise. He motioned for Legon to go out the back door. The new sword gleamed in the sunlight, and Legon had to admit that, flames or not, it did look good. Inwardly he thought, “It’s a good thing he has that. We may need it in the months to come.”

* * * * *

Kovos looked at his friend. “So what’s up?” Now in the light it was obvious that there was something wrong. He could see that Legon was trying to figure out what to say and how to say it.

“Come on, what’s up?” he asked again. Legon started to talk.

“You know that tattoo on my back?”

“Yeah, the strange looking thing?”

“Yeah… well, take a quick look at it.”

Kovos frowned and motioned for Legon to turn around. He came and lifted up the back of his shirt. He looked where the dark green tattoo was supposed to be and felt his breath catch in his chest. He looked harder at the now purple mark, as if by doing this it would somehow change its appearance. For a fraction of a second he thought Legon was playing a joke on him, but the look on his face told him this was no joke.

“What did that? Please don’t tell me magic.”

Legon’s answering silence told him more than he wanted to know. He felt a strange sensation in his stomach, the same he got every time he’d gotten in trouble as a little kid.

“Ok, lay it on me.”

Legon relayed the story to him, a story that, if he hadn’t just seen the purple tattoo, he wouldn’t have believed. He heard about Legon being part Elf and his dead mother, what he might turn into, and way more than his mind could wrap itself around at the moment. At the end, Legon appeared to be feeling better. Kovos rolled the new information around in his mind. He needed more time to think about this. He thought that paying Emma a visit might help.

“Ok, so how does this affect me?” he asked.

“Sasha is going to come with me when I leave. You were right—anything that might happen to me and her on the road is better than what will happen if she stays here. How it affects you is this: I understand if you don’t want to go with us, and if you do, we would like to go somewhere south, but if that doesn’t work for you then…” he said, tapering off.

He was surprised by the pleading look on his friend’s face. Legon was tough, and if he was this upset he must be expecting the worst. Kovos knew Legon would go to any length to protect Sasha, and would go south regardless of what he had to say about it. He also felt worried at the look on Legon’s face. If Legon was scared or worried about something then it had to be bad. A visit to Emma was definitely in order. Kovos only felt a moment’s hesitation in his head.

“The story you just told me is one of the most messed-up things I’ve ever heard, and a smart man would tell you to shove off, but . . .”

Legon interrupted, “But you’re not a smart man.”

“Lucky for you, I’m not. You’re my best friend, and if it’s a question of sticking with you, then you know the answer.” Kovos smiled and stretched his arms. “I think I’m going to enjoy the warmer weather in the southlands. And I hear the women wear fewer clothes down there.”

Legon laughed. “They do not, and even if they do, I doubt it’s the ones you want.”

Kovos chuckled. This was probably true. “I’m going to get back to work. We’ll talk later about when we’re going to leave. I won’t tell anyone about your freaky back, don’t worry.” As he said this he turned and walked back into the shop.

As Legon headed home he felt better. For the first time he felt a slight edge of excitement come over him at the thought of the adventure that Sasha, Kovos, and himself were soon to have.